The document summarizes leadership lessons shared by various world, business, and thought leaders at the World Business Forum and Retailing Summit. Some of the lessons discussed include leading change before having to, achieving success requires constant adaptation like surfing, inertia is the enemy of change, and the importance of developing talent on one's team.

1. 1
leadership lessons
world, business, and thought
leaders shared the lessons they’ve
learned about leadership at
World Business Forum
(www.wbfny.com)
and
The Retailing Summit
(http://retailingsummit.org)
here are the best bits
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

2. 2
leadership lessons
lead change before you have to;
complacency is the biggest danger
we have – change is happening all
around us – be on the offense
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE
current founder of the Jack Welch
Management Institute
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

3. 3
leadership lessons
[achieving success]
is not like climbing Mt. Everest –
you can’t get to the top and stay there;
it’s more like surfing
Rachel Bishop, VP Merchandising, Strategic
Planning & Analysis, Walgreen
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

4. 4
leadership lessons
inertia is always the enemy of change
Al Gore,
former Vice President of the United States
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

5. 5
leadership lessons
luck is what happens when
preparation meets opportunity
Larry Magee,
President of Bridgestone Retail Operations
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

6. 6
leadership lessons
face reality as it is,
not as you want it to be
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE;
current founder of the Jack Welch
Management Institute
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

7. 7
leadership lessons
there’s power in
recognizing what you do well --
and not trying to be something you’re not
Tony Rogers, SVP Brand Marketing, Walmart
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

8. 8
leadership lessons
the best ideas are the simplest
and totally obvious
but sometimes they evade you for years
Steve Levitt, author of Freakonomics and
SuperFreakonomics
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

9. 9
leadership lessons
leaders have followers
they set high expectations and are
resolute in face of adversity;
when others say it can’t be done,
they say it can --
and they make it happen
Bill McDermott, co-CEO SAP
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

10. 10
leadership lessons
alignment is the leader’s work of art
(agreement has nothing to do with alignment)
James Damian, SVP Experience Design Group,
Best Buy
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

11. 11
leadership lessons
the main job of a CEO is
developing talent --
the team that fields
the best players wins
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE;
current founder of the Jack Welch
Management Institute
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

12. 12
leadership lessons
best leaders hire over their heads
every time
Bill McDermott, co-CEO SAP
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

13. 13
leadership lessons
you have to be the coach --
people are not
the responsibility of the HR dept
Carlos Brito, CEO of InBev
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

14. 14
leadership lessons
protection of turf and policies
are the disease of companies;
you’ve got to kill the verticals in the company
James Damian, SVP Experience Design Group,
Best Buy
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

15. 15
leadership lessons
never confuse power with leadership;
I can get you to do anything if I put a gun to
your head but it doesn’t mean I have led
Jim Collins, author of Built to Last,
Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

16. 16
leadership lessons
“Level 5 Leaders”
share a special brand of humility:
they have absolute burning ambition for the
cause and company (not themselves)
combined with
the will to do whatever it takes
(as long as it doesn’t breach the core values)
Jim Collins, author of Built to Last,
Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)

17. 17
leadership lessons
dreaming big and dreaming small take same
amount of energy, so dream big!
Carlos Brito, CEO of InBev
quotables from the World Business Forum (www.wbfny.com)
© 2010 Denise Lee Yohn, Inc.
and the Retailing Summit (http://retailingsummit.org)